


Effulgence

by Oceanbourne



Category: League of Legends
Genre: F/M, I always wondered how guardians were supposed to behave around others, Star Guardian AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 21:27:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16941036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oceanbourne/pseuds/Oceanbourne
Summary: Finding solutions was always something he was good at. But for once, Janna just wanted him to keep his distance. She knew he’d soon eud up in over his head.





	Effulgence

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually one of my favorite Janna ships, if not my most favorite. But I haven't written anything about it until now - maybe I can fix that.
> 
> This story is meant to explore how Star Guardians interact with the other people around them. How similar would it be to stuff like DC/Marvel superheroes? Unlike someone like Tony Stark, Guardians have to be in a lot of everyday social situations. It would be pretty hard to hide if their identities were ever made public.
> 
> This fic also assumes college-age Guardians - both Janna and Jayce are in their final year of university.

A dark red continued to stain through the bandages around her leg. Janna grimaced. Limping her way up the stairs, careful not to put too much weight on her wounded leg, she reached the door of her apartment. Taking a breath, she looked again. It was only getting worse.

_ No way I’ll be able to hide that. _

Her living quarters were on the second story of the complex, a two-room apartment that she had managed to snag for her final year of university. Through the curtains, she could see the light already on. Jayce was home, probably working on an engineering project. Janna reached into her bag, fishing for her key. There was no simple way to explain her situation to Jayce. She could only hope that she could make it into the bathroom before he saw her.

A cut from one of the claws of a Void creature did not heal like any other injury. They carried the blight of the Void with them, which would cause a discoloration throughout the victim’s skin if not treated immediately. Star Guardians always carried a magical ointment designed to counteract the blight, but it didn’t completely heal a wound - only prevent the spread of the infection. 

Guardians healed faster than the average human, as well. The wound running down her calf might have taken days to clot, but from her experience, having seen her teammates recover from injuries and suffering her own wounds, she knew that although severe, a Guardian could heal to a healthier condition within hours.

Jayce wouldn’t know that, though. Coming home with her leg bleeding like that… he’d have the emergency number on the line within seconds, calling for an ambulance. She couldn’t draw attention to herself like that.

Janna snuck a gaze back at the curtains, took a deep breath, and inserted the key into the lock.

She opened the door a small amount, slowly entering the apartment. A warm light radiated from the desk from where Jayce was working. He sat at the desk, papers strewn across its surface, with a pair of pliers in his hand and some mechanical contraption in front at him. Janna pushed the door open further, acting as if nothing was wrong. She began to walk towards the bathroom, removing her jacket to lay it upon an armchair.

“Tonight went well?” Jayce asked. Janna let herself relax a little. He seemed occupied with his project for the moment.

“Mhm.” She kept her pace natural, continuing to approach the other side of the room. “We should have the next article out by Tuesday.”

“That’s great!” Jayce spun around in his chair, holding out the contraption in his hands. “Can you help me with something real qui-”

Janna froze. She had been trying to angle herself to hide the wound and the bandages, but Jayce had seen her. His eyes widened, his hands carrying the contraption falling into his lap. “Janna!” He scooted himself closer, the chair rolling across the wood flooring. “What happened?”

“It was just…” Janna sighed. She wouldn’t be able to sell some ridiculous story to Jayce. No kind of accident would result in a wound that severe. “Please, please don’t worry about me…”

“Are you crazy?” He gestured towards the bandages, standing up. He was probably trying to find something to fix the problem, to patch up the wound. Finding solutions was always something he was good at. But for once, Janna just wanted him to keep his distance. She knew he’d soon eud up in over his head. “You can’t tell me that sort of thing is normal! Were you attacked? Someone tried to rob you on the way home?”

She dropped her bag into the armchair. The truth would have to come out eventually. “Not exactly. Look, I…” Janna paused. How  _ was _ she going to explain it to him?

Star Guardians kept their identities a secret out of necessity. If they got caught up in the world’s happenings, how would they keep it safe from the dangers that throughout the galaxy? Their mission was too important to jeopardize.

However, throughout the history of the Guardians, some of them inevitably let their identities spill, whether intentionally or not. The First Star had answers for these special circumstances. If a Guardian’s identity became public knowledge, the people involved would have their memories adjusted - and the Guardian stripped of their powers. They would become normal people once more, and they too would live as if they had never heard the light’s call.

Many Guardians developed attachments to humans, even if the light burning within them wouldn’t let them live normal lives. Some of them confided in their spouses and significant others. And as these relationships became more common, the First Star would grudgingly allow these rare cases slide. However, if the Guardian’s identity was ever compromised, both the Guardian and the human would lose their memories, and end up whisked away to live separate lives, never to meet again.

Janna felt a chill run down her spine. Could she really let Jayce into her world, rife with danger and unfathomable responsibility? He handled high-pressure situations well - Janna had learned that on one of their first dates, when they had to evacuate a science museum when one of its exhibits caught fire while they were viewing it. But the dangers the Guardians faced were on a completely different level.

Her throat felt dry. Janna let out an exhale. She wasn’t going to lie to him about this. He deserved to know the truth, to know the real her.

“I’ll show you.” Janna walked over to the door, making sure it was locked. The curtains were already drawn. “You have to promise, though - that you’ll never, ever tell anyone else about this unless I say so.”

“Janna,” Jayce said, his face wrought with confusion, “of course I’d promise you anything, but please, I have to know what’s going on.”

“I know.” She lowered her voice, a tepid look in her eyes. “I’m sorry for hiding this from you for so long, but I just had to.”

Lifting her arms to the side, Janna closed her eyes, letting her body fill with the power of starlight. A white glow emanated around her, and she could hear Jayce let out a cry of surprise. The light filled the room, and when she opened her eyes, her clothes had been replaced with the uniform of the Star Guardians - a white and purple skirt and dress, and a winged star tiara adorning her head. Her hair, turned a bright purple, fell in wavy curls along her shoulders. The staff of winds appeared in her hand, and Janna held it out as she floated above the floor.

“Now you know who I really am.”

Jayce’s jaw looked like it had dropped to the floor. He blinked repeatedly, as if disbelieving his senses. “You’re - you’re Storm?”

Although the Guardians had kept their identities a secret, that didn’t stop a loyal following of humans that witnessed some of their battles from making up names of their own. Even if a magical glamour hid the true nature of the creatures of the Void from them - humans would only see a vague grey cloud -  humans had seen enough to distinguish the Guardians from each other.

Lux was the Lady of Light, Jinx had been nicknamed Rockets (a moniker she accepted with glee), and Janna received the title “Storm,” after her abilities controlling the wind. Jayce wasn’t one to spend his time tracking the Guardians’ battles through the city, but he and many others ended up using the lingo the fans had devised.

Janna nodded. “That’s me. I’m one of the guardians that defends Valoran City.”

Jayce still looked like something had ripped out his tongue. He seemed transfixed on the way she floated in the air, something the Guardians were always doing. Janna lowered herself to stand normally, and he seemed to regain a little composure.

“This is… just crazy.” He had set the contraption down on the chair, and kept switching his gaze between her and the ceiling. “I always assumed they were some otherworldly beings. Their fights were none of our business. They just happened to take place here. But I can’t believe you’re human.” Jayce glanced at her, a frantic look in his eye. “Wait. Are you?”

“I’m completely human. I promise.” How much did that promise mean, though - after the truth she had just dropped on him? Janna frowned. “It’s a long story. And I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

Jayce had seemed to calm down. He sat back down in his chair, leaning back. “Okay. Okay, I’ll listen. I just can’t believe - my  _ girlfriend  _ is one of them?”

Janna clasped her hands together. “If it’s ever too much for you, I won’t force you to get wrapped up in… all of this.”

“Nonsense.” Jayce sat up, looking her in the eye. She knew that look - whenever he had a tough project on his hands, or a competition wanted to test his ingenuity, he seemed to look ten years older. “I’ve had the fortune to spend the last six months with you, and I know how hard you’ve worked, even without taking whatever you do as a Guardian into account. You put in 100% every single day. You always put your best foot forward. It’s what I’ve always loved about you.”

Janna felt her breath catch. “Jayce…”

“The whole story - I’m sure it’s a good one - can come later,” Jayce continued. “I want to know one thing first, though. What we have together. That’s still real, right?”

Her lips pursed. It felt like an icy arrow had pricked her heart. He was right to question her. She’d probably have done the same if they had exchanged places. But it didn’t make the spotlight any less unnerving. If she wanted to continue sharing her life with him, she’d have to be completely honest from this point out.

“Every day we spent together, every moment we shared.” Janna nodded. “I really do care about you, Jayce.” She looked towards the curtains, to the outside world that was, for now, closed off and locked away. “Whenever I felt like things were hopeless, whenever I felt like giving up,  you were one of the things that kept me going.”

Jayce took a step forward, reaching out to take her hand. “I hope so, Janna. I want us to continue what we have.”

She met his gaze. What was in his eyes? Wonder? Excitement? Fear? She could tell how badly Jayce wanted not to let this revelation tear down what they had built. Janna reached for his fingers,  squeezing them gently. Neither did she.

“Then I guess I owe you a story.” She guided him to the armchair, pushing her bag away so that they could sit together. Janna cozied up next to him, placing an arm on his chest. “I suppose it started when the light called me…”   
  
  



End file.
